


Alice’s and Aldyce’s Heartwarming and Heartbreaking Extravaganza

by Aldyce, Allie_enigma



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: -One chapter, Angst, Check chapters for tags, Collaboration, Double the Fun, Fluff, Flufftober2019, Multi, October Prompt Challenge, Two prompts-, various characters - Freeform, various relationships - Freeform, whumptober2019
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-01
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-11-08 11:35:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20834798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aldyce/pseuds/Aldyce, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allie_enigma/pseuds/Allie_enigma
Summary: Two authors. Two prompts. Many stories.





	1. How the World has Changed

**Author's Note:**

> Taken from the October writing prompts for 2019, we have decided to make a collaboration. One chapter a day, taken from each half of the Fluff/whumptober writing challenges. We've taken turns on each half and worked together to bring you one story each day of October.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Want to join in the fun? Jump on twitter with the hashtag #AAHHtober <3  
Please check each chapter for warnings :)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Dancing is not just getting up painlessly, like a leaf blown on the wind; dancing is when you tear your heart out and rise out of your body to hang suspended between the worlds."
> 
> Day one: Dancing/Shaky hands
> 
> TW// Major character death

The garden was bathed in darkness as Alec looked up at the wide, open sky. So many millions of years had passed since the earth first began; when giant creatures roamed the earth, man battled man for land and then for hearts. Seas had risen and colonies had fallen; all leading to this very second in time.

“Are you done with your food, Alexander?” Alec smiled sweetly as he looked across the table at his husband. They’d been together for so many years now and it was heartwarming to see that nothing had ever changed between them. He nodded as Magnus reached across the table, linking Alec’s fingers in his own. “We could go inside if you’re tired. It’s getting pretty late.”

Alec shook his head and stood up slowly, walking around the table. The candles flickered around them, causing little glimpses of light to bounce off their faces. Alec tilted his head, making Magnus look at him in wonder, as he offered out his hand.

“Will you dance with me?”

Magnus stood up, offering his arm for Alec to take. Despite how many years they had been married, their evening dinners together usually ended up with one of them offering; dancing softly as their feet brushed their living room carpet. Tonight had felt different and despite his initial reservations about being outside, Magnus knew they had made the right decision. He watched quietly as Alec looked up to the sky in wonder; swaying together sweetly to the sound of light piano keys.

Alec had wanted to see the stars tonight. He’d always loved them; the idea that the world was so vast. He could only dream of all the things Magnus had seen in his long life, both incredible and terrible, but that was part of being immortal. He’d seen how Magnus fondly recalled all those who he’d moved on from, maybe never forgotten, but those parts of him that he’d had to shut away.

Alec knew that one day, the same would have to happen again and maybe it was a little self centered to think but it bruised his heart to think that one might be a little more difficult to get through; Magnus out living the first person he ever married.

Magnus waved his hand through the air, casting blue sparks that dotted and hit the floor as they surrounded them both. The familiar tune of one of Alec’s favourite pieces came on. Something his brother had composed for him a while ago. Alec still missed him every day.

Magnus glimpsed at Alec’s right hand, clasped in his own. Alec knew what Magnus would say but it wasn’t because of that, or that he was tired. He still always had the nervous hit of energy that came with being this close together. It still sent butterflies around his stomach and made his heart fill, whenever his husband was close by. “Are you sure you’re not cold?”

Alec chuckled quietly, wrapping his arms around Magnus. They weren’t a conventional couple by any means and anyone looking at them now, swaying in the garden together, might have looked at them twice, but the world had come a long way recently and relationships between shadowhunters and downworlders had become completely normal. Of course, people still whispered about the legendary warlock and the shadowhunter who changed the world to keep him safe, but Alec could live with that.

As the piece of music came to an end, Magnus rested his hand on Alec’s cheek. He traced the edge of his eye before bumping their heads and softly pressing their lips together.

“I love you, Alexander. And I always will.”

“I love you, Magnus. For as long as I live. And every life after.” 

As a tear slowly made its way down Magnus’ perfectly smooth checks, the skin unmarked by the lines of age, Alec raised his hand to wipe it away. Magnus caught hold of his hand before it could make contact with his face, his hold quieting the violent shakes that ran through it. Alec stared down at his hand. Having a steady hand had always been the most important part of being an archer. He remembered the realisation when the tremor had first appeared, how he would never be able to shoot his arrows again. Of course, they had seen all the doctors and all the best warlocks around, but the prognosis had been worse than any he had dreaded. Age. The one fight he could never win. The ultimate betrayal as his body gave up on him. 

His hand was still in his husband’s, as he massaged small circles into the withered and discolored skin of Alec’s wrist. They both knew that the shaking would only get worse if he was agitated.

“Let’s go to bed, okay?” Alec nodded his response.He didn’t want his voice to betray just how upset he was, and he could only imagine how hard it must be for Magnus. All these years of watching him fade and become the frail shell of the man that he once was. 

They made their way back inside, Magnus’ arm behind his back, supporting him as it always had. Alec stumbled a bit on the doorstep, Magnus tightening his arm around him and carrying most of his weight.

“I got you, Alexander. I promise I won’t let go.” Alec didn’t answer his husband.He didn’t need to. He knew Magnus would always be by his side, until the day he died. 

That was what scared him the most. Not what he would die, but that Magnus would be there to see it happen. 

As they lay in their bed, Alec stared up at the ceiling. Magnus was curled into his side, head resting on Alec’s chest. An arm loosely wrapped around him and Alec wished that he could still see the stars. 

Magnus had once promised him the moon and the stars but now, as he lay with his entire world at his fingertips, a warm weight against his side, all he could think in that moment that there was nothing more that he could ever ask for. 

His life had been a full and happy one. The years he had spent with his husband had been better when he had dared to hope for when reading books as a child. Tonight had been the perfect ending to his fairytale romance.

“I love you, Magnus. Thank you for the most amazing life and the privilege of being able to spend it by your side. May we meet again in the next.”

***

Magnus awoke the next morning to silence. Alec was normally awake and banging around in the kitchen at that time. He opened his eyes, to find his hand was wrapped in Alec’s.

Tears stung at his eyes as he removed his hand from the cold embrace and softly ran it against his husband’s cheek. 

Alec’s lips were frozen in a serene smile.

“Goodbye, Alexander,” Magnus whispered. “I will always love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment <3


	2. Dusted in Red

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is a necessity to stand out in the cold."
> 
> Day two: Snow/Explosion

Clary had always loved the snow. Since she was a little girl, it had fascinated her. The slow descent of each flake. How every one of them was beautiful and unique. So delicate and intricate. Precious and irreplaceable and pure.

Jace had often told Clary that she reminded him of the snow; an unstoppable force, beautiful and delicate, yet capable enough and strong enough to collapse a building.

He had proposed to her as the snow fell around them, as the sun had created beams of light off it’s gleaming surface. Her hair a bright light in the vast expanse of white.

It had been that day that he had seen when she had walked towards him, the flowing dress and flowers in her hair, as beautiful and soothing as a fresh fallen coat of snow, coating the world in its reassuring embrace; yet to be disturbed by any imperfections.

The smooth white skin beneath this hands as he felt for the strong signs of life coming from the rounded belly of his pregnant wife. 

_ “Yes, that’s right. Well stay tuned for updates but I think this is going to be a shaky Christmas eve for many families, I’m afraid. Tragic. Just tragic. Just to confirm, we have received reports of injury at the downtown bank, due to a high impact explosion. The number of fatalities are still unknown. Many individuals are still unaccounted for but the New York Police Department have said that they will release an official statement once more information is known. Back to the studio.” _

Jace had learnt to love the snow; to associate it with the bright light that was Clary. But now, everything was different. The ground was no longer white. Now it was stained in red. 

Jace blinked numbly, looking around the room as the words still echoed in his head. The air was warm inside, slightly scented with spices and fragrant candles; a vast contrast to the bitter scent outside as ashes rained down and mixed with the damp snow.

As he sat down on the family sofa and put his face into his hands, the light from the Christmas tree shifted into a wide array of blurry dots. He pulled his phone out and dialed one, two, three, four times. He lost count and the familiar voicemail made his throat go tight every time that it played.

_ “It’s Clary Herondale. You know what to do. Leave one at the beep! _ ”

It had only been the day before when the four of them had been out in the yard; the kids and Clary running around and throwing snowballs at each other and making angels on the soft ground. Jace had tried to film the whole thing, to capture all the childhood memories that he, himself, had missed out on. The camera had run out of battery and he had laughed it off, saying that they’d have plenty more snow days together to capture again; exclaiming how technology seemed to hate him and making his family giggle. Now, now he would give anything for that tape. To be able to see the smiles on their faces, hear the sound of his wife’s laugh as she played with their children that they had both waited so long for. 

“Dada? When’s Mom going to be home?” Jace snapped his head around, taking in his young son and daughter. Each were trailing a blanket behind them as they looked down at him from between the upstairs railings.

“You’re-” Jace tried to hide the choking in his voice as he rubbed his face. “You’re supposed to be asleep.”

His little girl spoke next, playing with the end of her blonde plait. “We can’t. Mom hasn’t come in for goodnight kisses. She wouldn’t forget about Christmas, would she? She hasn’t gone anywhere?”

Jace sighed, walking to the bottom of the stairs and gesturing for his twins to come down. How could he explain anything to them? How long would it be until he knew for sure? Until he had to say something? What would he even say? What could he say to two five year olds? That their mother might have said goodbye on christmas eve to the scent of cookies and hugs, never knowing that she wouldn’t be coming back again? He couldn’t.

“No.” Jace fought back his tears, reaching out to each of them so he could pick them up and rest each of them on one of his hips. “She wouldn’t. She- she wouldn’t have gone anywhere. Your mom would never leave us. We just have to wait. We can do that, can’t we? Wait together for Mommy?”

Jace carried his two children over to the sofa before gently settling them down. The fire had long gone out so we switched on a few small lights and protectively wrapped both of their blankets over them.

He still remembered the first Christmas that the twins had been old enough to understand. They had been so excited, wanting to stay up all night, waiting for Santa to come. Jace had desperately tried to get them into their beds but they had been adamant. They had wanted to see Santa and the reindeer. 

Of course, being three years old at this point, they knew exactly how to bend their parents to their every will; and so they ran, barely balancing on their short legs, to Clary. And faced with the pleading faces of her two little angels, she had caved, unable to refuse them, especially when she remembered pulling the same stunt on Luke and her mum when she had been growing up.

“Fine, we can wait for Santa for a bit. But if he doesn’t come then you have to go to sleep, okay?” after a chorus of 'yes Mommy' and 'of course, Mommy', the twins were wrapped up in blankets on the sofa as Clary leaned against Jace’s side behind them.

“Don’t be mad, babe. It's Christmas. You know how much I love Christmas. Although, I really wish it was snowing…”

“I know, Clary. I know. I promise you, one day we will have the perfect white Christmas that you have always dreamed of. We’ll build a snowman out in the yard, you can make snow angels and then we will drink chocolate in front of the tree. Just you wait. It is going to be perfect.”

“I love you, Jace. I can’t wait for the rest of lives together… especially our first white Christmas. ” Jace had simply rolled his eyes at his ridiculous bride and he kissed the top of her head. He loved her and their children so much and at that moment, he couldn’t have imagined a happier time. 

“Dada? I can hear sirens-”

Jace’s phone buzzed on the coffee table and he raced to pick it up. He didn’t want to scare the children but he had to know if she was okay. She was never home this late and with every news platform releasing details by the minute, he was getting increasingly hysterical.

“Hello?! Who’s there?!” Jace gestured for his children to stay and rushed into the kitchen area, turning so they couldn’t hear him. “Clary? Is that you?”

“It’s Simon.” The voice was nearly unrecognisable. “I- I saw the news. The explosion. Is- is she home? Is she safe?”

Jace’s eyes teared up. “I don’t know, Simon. I- I don’t know.”

Simon sniffled on the other end. What could they even say to each other? “Just- ring when you hear something, okay?” Jace hung up without another word.

He looked over to the sofa and sat down at the kitchen table. His two children were sleeping soundly, curled into one another. He was supposed to be wrapping presents with Clary right about then. She was supposed to be making a gingerbread house for the children. Instead, he was fighting back the paralysing fear that was coursing through him as more and more, sirens blared with each passing minute; casting the Manhattan skyline in painful flashes of red and blue.

By the time the sun had started to come up, Jace had heard nothing further. He hadn’t wanted to switch on the news channel on the TV but had been nervously scrolling through on his phone. At some point, his little girl had climbed over to him and fallen asleep in his arms, blissfully unaware as Jace traced the freckles on her nose and waited for a sign of his wife. His eyes were burning and heavy but sleep just wouldn’t come. Reports of fatalities had started coming in at some point and he had just been praying with everything he possessed that his wife would walk in at any minute. His panic had increased as the hours had passed, feeling every second that ticked by. What would happen if his children woke up in a few hours to no presents and no mother to hold them?

After another agonising half hour, the front door handle made a click.

Jace’s eyes went wide as he lifted his daughter from his side, placing her gently next to her brother. He ran across the room as Clary ran towards him, clashing together into one being. Jace had never been one for openly showing emotion but tears ran down his face as he clutched the back of Clary’s head, his hands shaking as he clenched his eyes and reassured himself that she was okay and that he wasn’t dreaming.

“I love you-I love you. I was so worried- the news- and- and the kids.”

“Shhh.” Clary held him gently and looked up, brushing Jace’s face with her thumb. His eyes skirted down to the dried blood on her shirt and she directed his sight away from it. “I’m okay. I’m-” Her voice broke slightly as Jace pulled her against him again. Now he had her in his arms again, he never, ever, wanted to let her go. ”I’m home. I’m just exhausted. I need sleep and I need to see you and our babies. Everything else can come later.”

Jace led her over to the sofa, holding tightly onto her hand. They sat down, Jace holding onto his son while Clary hugged their daughter tightly on his other side. Clary leaned into Jace’s chest, finally letting out a breath that she had been holding onto for hours.

Jace's heart rate sped up as she turned to look at him, opening the same beautiful eyes that he fell in love with every morning that he woke up and every night that he fell asleep to. “Did you remember to buy carrots for tomorrow?”

Jace’s eyelids fluttered as he laughed quietly to himself, falling asleep before he could answer. The sound of their breathing filled the quiet room, as silent as snowflakes hitting the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please drop a comment :)


	3. Crazy for You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Being alone has a power that very few people can handle."
> 
> Day three: Blankets/Delirium

“There you go.”

Magnus smiled gratefully as his boyfriend adjusted his pillows behind his head. He hated being reliant on others to be taken care of but with Alec fussing over him, he felt that maybe he could allow himself some peace with the idea. Alec had said to let others take care of him. With Alec gently caressing the warlock’s cheek, each time that he popped in and out of their bedroom, gathering his things for institute business, Magnus allowed himself to lie down and close his eyes for a moment.

“Listen, I know you said you didn’t want a fuss but-” Magnus’ eyes opened again. If Alec was about to suggest a bed bath before he left, he might finally admit to being sicker than he had originally said. “-Jace has got a patrol in Brooklyn today and I told him to stop in around lunch time and check on you. Your fever has been going up and I don’t want to leave but I have to work today. The perks of being head of the institute are not as great as you would expect.” Magnus moaned quietly and threw himself back against the pillows, wishing for a martini that was stronger than the potion that Caterina had given him. They’d tried lots of variations on healing spells but none of them had worked. Magnus had cursed his father and been signed off for a few days of bed rest, not that he currently had the post of High Warlock, but he couldn’t really curse his father for that.

“Okay I-” Alec leaned over hm, kissing the top of Magnus’ head and tucking their blanket up to his chin. “Will see you in a bit. You’re due more of that potion, and it will keep your temperature from going up, so take it. Remember to drink-”

“I-”

“-Water! And to get some rest. I’ll be back before you know it. I love you, okay?”

“I love you too, Alexander, but honestly, I’m fine.”

Magnus pouted as Alec left the room, waving sadly and closing the door with a gentle bump. The second that Magnus had heard the front door close, he pushed back the covers and sprung up, revealing his perfectly chosen outfit for the day. The joggers that Alec had given him were stuffed under his pillow somewhere and Magnus rubbed his eyes in the bright light as he went into his old apothecary room. He didn’t need rest. He just needed something to keep his mind busy until Alec came home.

*** 

The room was dark when he opened his eyes; a heavy weight stopping him from moving freely. He struggled to free himself from the suffocating blankets that had tangled around his legs. The heat was staggering; sweat beading on his forehead. He knew where he was, the heat, the painful tightening of his chest, the dread coursing through his body. His heart pounded as he tried to free himself. He tossed and turned, words whispered on his lips.

Edom. He had promised himself once, when he had escaped his father’s control, that he would never go back. But somehow, he had. He had gone for Alec. To save Alec’s parabatai. His magic had been a price he was willing to pay; his immortality meaning nothing without Alec, whole and by his side. A part of him had even been excited; his life had been a long and full one. The idea of living as a mundane terrified him but if he could spend the rest of his life at Alec’s side, maybe it would be worth it. 

The past week had been harder than he had possibly imagined. His magic was so much more than just power. It was his very essence.

The only comfort Magnus had found was that he would now be forever safe from his father’s influence. But somehow, Asmodeus had trapped him. Taking not only his magic but his freedom. He was back where he had been trapped for years as a young man, only he didn’t have his powers to lean back on. He was truly alone. Unable to heal, not only others but himself. Something that had been his sole purpose in life at one time.

Alone. 

That was the true source of his pain. He had lost so much and he had always been able to carry the weight of his losses. The lost of his magic had been a hard blow, losing his freedom now was devastating, but losing Alexander was something that he knew he could never get over. 

Magnus could still smell the scent of him, the scent making him want to curl into the man’s embrace as everything twisted around him. It wouldn’t be long before it would be replaced by the smell of ash. 

The heat was too strong, blurring his vision as tears ran down his face and his head felt like it would split open. He reached out for him as his slowly started to slip away, the red sky of Edom fading to black. 

***

“Magnus? Everything okay?”

Jace pushed Magnus’ front door open, twirling his stele in his hand. The silence, that had now replaced the hum of Magnus’ wards, saddened him as he stepped through the door.

“In hereee!”

Jace tilted his head in confusion as he made his way through the rooms. Magnus was humming and whispering in a sing song voice.

As Jace walked into Magnus’ bedroom, his eyes went wide. Magnus was standing upright on the bed with some cacophony of blankets over him. One around his neck like a cape, one around his waist and a series of wash cloths were tied in a bandanna across his head. Magnus jumped once, putting his hands on his waist and pointing directly at Jace.

“Alexander! Let’s save the world together!”

Jace glanced behind himself, to Magnus’ flushed cheeks, and then to the nearly full bottle of potion that was on the bedside table. Jace groaned, rubbing his eyes and wishing that iratzes worked on warlocks.

“Magnus? By the angel, what on earth are you doing?!

Magnus grinned, jumping down on the bed so he was sitting on the edge. He reached his arms out to Jace, pouting his lips as he smiled..

“Alexander, please don’t leave me again. I missed you so much while you were out!”

Jace rolled his eyes. “Magnus, you have a fever and you’re not thinking clearly-”

“I want a hug, Alexander.”

“I am not- Alec. It’s Jace.” Jace walked across the room, picking up the potion from the table. “You were supposed to take this. Alec said-”

“Alexander!” Magnus gasped and clapped excitedly.

“Yes. Alexander. Take the damn potion, Magnus!” Jace walked back over slowly. While his back had been turned, Magnus had laid out flat on the bed with his legs hanging off the end. His eyes were closed and Jace held the dropper over his mouth.

_ Just a little closer… _

Magnus’ eyes burst open and he sprang up, nearly knocking the bottle from Jace’s hands. He fought to catch it and turned again to see Magnus’ crouched on the bed with one of the blankets over his head. Jace growled under his breath, racing forward with a speed only reserved for the hunt. Magnus was unfortunately just as fast after so many years of immortal life and rushed out of the room before he could catch him.

***

“Hey, Magnus. How are you feeling?”

Alec set his bag down as he opened the front door. “I’ve tried to get hold of Jace to see how you were but he’s not picking up. I guess he got sent on mission but did you-” Alec’s eyes went wide as he stepped into the room. The entire place was in total chaos. “Jace?! What happened?!” Alec rushed over to the sofa, taking in the sight of his adoptive brother. Jace was splayed out with his hair in a golden tangle over his head. Magnus was lying on the sofa with his head in Jace’s lap, sleeping soundly as he clung to Jace’s middle like a vice. Jace was gritting his teeth, trying to pull one of his hands away.

“Oh, thank the angel you are home-”

“What the hell is going on?!”

“Can you help me?” Jace looked over as Alec nodded. He didn’t know what he would come to when Jace had left an indiscernible voicemail earlier but he hadn’t expected to come home to see his boyfriend with his arms around his brothers waist. The second Alec leaned over Magnus to help pull him from Jace, Magnus latched onto him, pulling Alec down onto the sofa so he could hug him tightly. Alec turned to his brother, waiting for an explanation.

“His fever went sky high earlier but I managed to get some of that stuff into him once he was asleep. He kept asking for you and I tried to explain-” Jace puffed out his cheeks and held up his hands as he looked around. “I guess he just really wanted to see you...” Magnus sighed happily, burying his face into Alec as he lay in his arms.

“Okay. Maybe I can understand that but, Jace, why didn’t you just push him off? Of course, I mean he probably just would have gone to bed until I got in. You didn’t need to stay all this-” 

Jace stood up from the sofa, stretching out his back. “-I didn’t mind! He’s sick and it wouldn’t have been fair on him to wake him up when I didn’t really have anywhere to be.”

Alec looked down at his sleeping boyfriend and back to his brother. “Jace, you’re my parabatai. I know when you’re lying.”

Jace slicked his hair back and rubbed his eye before finally sighing and giving in. He’d never be able to get anything past Alec and he knew it. Jace pointed to himself with his finger against his chest. “Fine. Alec, Magnus gave his magic up for me and I’ve been tearing myself apart over it.” He gestured with his hands. “He’s sick and tired and he just wanted you. If he wanted company today then it was the least I could do.”

“Jace- he doesn’t blame you. It was the owl-” Jace interrupted him.

“No, Alec. Magnus gave up everything for me! It’s my fault and when he’s better, I’m going to make sure that he knows how thankful I am. How much we all are for everything that he’s done for us.” Alec nodded sadly, brushing Magnus’ hair back. Magnus leaned into him, smiling in his sleep. “I better go, anyway. I ordered food for you so you wouldn’t have to cook. It’s on the kitchen table.”

Alec thanked his brother and after a short goodbye, only him and Magnus remained. Alec kicked off his shoes, thinking about what his brother had said, and Magnus blinked his eyes, moving to lay down on the sofa. Alec settled in next to him, brushing Magnus’ face as he became more alert. “You’re awake. How are you feeling?” Magus smiled tiredly, resting his head on Alec’s chest.

“Better now that I’m with you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please drop a comment <3


	4. In a Heartbeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Fading light means more than just the end of another day. Night is when terrible things emerge from their sleep and seek soft flesh and hot blood."
> 
> Day four: Candles/Human shield
> 
> TW// Major character death

“Izzy, this place is so incredible. Where did you even hear about it?” Isabelle smiled across the table, taking her girlfriend’s hand in her own. She’d waited for this night for so long. To be able to take Clary out on her birthday and tell her how much she meant to her. It had taken months of meticulous planning, phone calls and called in favours to get them two of the best seats in one of the most sought after restaurants in the city, but to see the look on Clary’s face; she would do it all again in a heartbeat.

“No where, really. I just kept looking and I got lucky. Realised everything was right here, you know?” Clary blushed slightly in the dim light. She’d never seen somewhere so incredible. The whole place was lit up with flickering lights of all sizes. On shelves. On the tables. Even on the lights that hung from the ceiling. It was like being dropped in a fairytale.

Clary held up her glass, tapping it against Isabelle’s. “Well, I have to applaud you. You certainly out did yourself.” Izzy leaned over the table, brushing Izzy’s nose. They grinned at each other as their waiter walked over again, two plates in his hands.

“Caramel cheesecake for the lady-” The girls separated and the waiter put one plate in front of Izzy. “-and the brownie for the other.” Clary smiled thankfully at the man, inhaling the deep scent of chocolate and ice cream, making Izzy laugh as she blew out the little candle that had been put into one of the brownie pieces. “Is there anything else I can get you?” The two girls politely declined and he left them to their desserts.

“Mmm, Iz, you have to try this! It’s so good!” Clary leaned over the table, putting her spoon to Izzy’s mouth. Izzy nodded in agreement, doing the same for Clary.

Clary’s eyes went to the side slightly and she sat back. “Clary? Do you not like it?” Clary smiled sweetly to her girlfriend, trying not to alarm her as the sound of light music flowed around the room.

“I love it. I just- don’t turn around but one of my exes is here.”

“Oh.” Izzy set her spoon down, trying to subtly look in the reflection off the front of the bar. “Can you see who they’re with?” Clary shook her head and reached for Izzy’s hand.

“It doesn’t matter. Tonight is just about you and me.” 

***

As Isabelle waited for the waiter to bring their receipt (she had insisted that tonight be her treat) ,Clary had gone to the bathroom to wash her hands and check her makeup. 

There she took a minute to collect her thoughts. She had never met anyone like Izzy. She was not only beautiful, the smartest person Clary ever met but also extremely kind. That the other woman loved her and had decided to stay with her both marvelled and humbled Clary. 

As she made her way back to the main room, she heard a disturbance outside the restaurant. She could hear shouting and sirens, but living in the city now, she guessed that she would have to get used to it. 

The sound from the street, and the city in general, grew louder for a minute, as the side door behind her opened and then closed.

As she was about to step into the bright, candled dinner room, Clary felt a hand on her shoulder. She spun around to see whoever had grabbed her.

The man behind her had a vice grip on her upper arm, the fingers wrapping around hard enough to leave bruises. The man was hidden behind a dark hoodie and as Clary’s heart skipped and turned around, she realised then noticed the gun that he was holding a gun directly in front of her face. They stared one another down, both waiting for the other to react. 

Clary hadn’t had an easy childhood...or an easy life in general, so to speak. She could easily say through that she had never felt this type of fear before. Her heartbeat was painful against her ribs and she hiccuped as she gasped for air, her vision blurring as her panic set in and told her only one thing. 

She was going to die. 

There had been times in her life when that thought of death wouldn’t have bothered Clary; when death had seemed like the preferable option to life. But now…. She was finally happy. She had fought through everything life had thrown at her and made it out the other side, braver and better. She had met Isabelle and was starting to move away from the darkness that had always been hidden just below the surface. It seemed cruel that she would have to go now. She was only just getting started. She was twenty three years old; out for her birthday with her hot girlfriend. This was not how the evening was supposed to go. She had bought sexy lingerie; had planned for chocolate strawberries to be delivered to her room . 

She had plans for the next night, for the next day and for the rest of her life with Isabelle.

***

No one noticed as she walked back into the room, the tears silently running down her face. The wobble as she focused on placing one foot in front of the other and not falling. 

She made it to the centre of the restaurant as a hush fell over the room. 

Fear was evident in all the eyes that fixed on her and the man behind her; as he guided her with his gun held to the back of her head. 

There was only one person in that moment that she wanted to see. One pair of eyes that she wanted to meet.

Isabelle was sitting at their table, the empty plates their desserts had been on were still in front of her. 

They met eyes for a moment and Clary flinched in the mans grasp. She could see the stunned look in Izzy’s eyes and her heart panged for Izzy more than for herself. How does someone wrap their head around the fact that the person they loved was standing right in front of them with a gun held to their head?

The confusion turned to terror when Clary mouthed four words to her, the tears now running freely down her face. “Isabelle, I love you.”

“CLARY!!” Before Clary could do anything to stop her, Izzy was out of her seat, screaming. The word echoed with pain that tore through the body and ripped itself free in a primal exclamation of loss and heartbreak. 

The shot fired almost immediately. Clary screamed as Izzy fell to the ground, bleeding profusely from the shot in her thigh. 

Clary could feel the cold butt of the gun being placed back against her head but this time, she didn’t even care. Only Isabelle mattered. She sank to her knees and called out to the love of her life, desperate to know that she was alright. That she was alive. 

“Izzy, please, Iz. Please be alright. Baby, please come back to me. Don’t leave me. You know I can’t do this without you. Please, Isabelle, please.”

“Everybody, shut up! Hands on your heads! No one makes a scene or they end up like her!”

The customers followed the orders and cowered as the sound of police sirens sounded from outside the restaurant. The police obviously knew that he was here, now they just had to survive until the police could get to them.

“Get up.” The butt of the gun dug into the soft skin at the junction between her head and neck, a hand grabbing her hair and pulling Clary onto her feet.

Following the gunman’s raving commands, the restaurant was arranged so that the tables created a circle, with the gunman now safely in the middle. He turned to face the main door, pulling Clary tightly in front of his body, protecting himself from the policemen that would be coming through the door any minute. Once in position, he waited. Clary understood her position in all of this. She was a human shield. Designated to catch the police’s fire instead of her captor. 

They stood like that for longer than she could count but Clary couldn’t look away from where Izzy still lay, mere feet away from her. She still hadn’t moved and a pool of blood was forming around her. Clary had a very limited amount of medical knowledge but from what she knew, Izzy needed help and she needed it very soon.

The doors flew open with a bang, causing several restaurant goers to shriek. Finally tearing her eyes away from Izzy, Clary looked down the barrels of the dozen guns, all pointed directly at her. 

“Stay back! I will shoot this girl and all of these people! Do not test me, pigs!” The policemen slowly started lowering their weapons and moved back slightly. The restaurant was dark and they had not been informed that this had developed into a hostage situation. Clary moved her eyes away from them. If this was to be her end, she didn’t want to go out looking down at the barrel of the gun that killed her. She wanted to be looking into the eyes of the woman she loved.

Izzy was staring right back at her, her face ghostly pale as she lay on the ground, her hands holding as much pressure as she could manage on her leg. In that instant, Clary could have laughed, or sang. Izzy was alive. She may be hurt but she was conscious.

As fresh tears ran down her face and a smile raised at the corners of her lips, a shot sounded. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please drop a comment <3


	5. Guns N' Roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And I will grow a million flowers in that place where you feel pain."
> 
> Day five: Wet/Gunpoint

The date had been perfect. The kind of fairytale evening you saw in movies. Aline had gone all out for their fifth anniversary together and Helen couldn’t take her eyes of the beautiful woman with the red dress before her. The woman who, despite all odds, had loved her and allowed Helen to love her back for the past five years. Those years had by far been the best of Helen’s life and if everything went to plan, five years would turn to ten, twenty, a lifetime in the arms of the woman she loved. 

“Hey, tonight has been so perfect. I am not sure if I am ready for it to end just yet.”

Aline smiled, the moonlight dancing off her dark hair. “Oh? What did you have in mind?”

“Take a walk through the park with me?” 

“I would love to.” The two girls made their way, arm in arm, across the street and into the beautiful park opposite to the restaurant where they had just had dinner. 

They wondered the green paths, the intricate lamps casting a glow that held back the dark cover of night. 

Helen, forever a hopeless romantic, squealed when she saw the rose bush just off the path; a single red rose having bloomed. The flower was carefully picked and placed behind Aline’s ear, who was well used to her girlfriend’s love of romantic gestures.

Tonight had been Aline’s way of repaying the favour. Even though they both preferred a casual Saturday in sweats, eating pizza and playing video games in their small apartment, seeing Helen before her now, a deep blue dress under her leather jacket, perfectly showing off her curves and her hair a cascade of golden ringlets, she was glad that they had decided to have a proper date night for their anniversary. 

They had been in the park for maybe twenty minutes, walking around, kissing under trees and giggling as they sat tangled on a park bench, when the first drop fell on Helen’s leg. 

“Dammit! Come on, we need to run or we’ll get soaked.” Aline was up in a flash, holding a hand out for Helen to take.

“Wait! Wait! It is only a couple of drops! No need to make a run for it!” as Helen spoke, the rain went from a few drops to a torrential downpour, soaking the two women in a matter of minutes. The sky flashed and grumbled before them.

As Aline tried to seek shelter under some trees, she noticed that Helen wasn’t by her side. Looking around for her girlfriend, she saw her in the middle of the lane, arms outstretched and face tilted up towards the sky as water ran down her face. 

“Helen! What are you doing?!” Aline shouted above the sound of pouring water. “You are so going to catch a cold!”

“Come on, baby! We are already wet, might as well enjoy it. Come and dance with me!”

Before she could protest, Helen was already at Aline’s side, pulling her out from under the tree and into the rain. As much as Aline hated to be wet, Helen’s joy was infectious and she couldn’t resist going in with her excitement. 

The couple giggled as Aline pulled Helen into her arms and twirled her. Helen squealed as she span, laughing and falling back into her girlfriend’s embrace. 

Aline smiled as the amazing woman in her arms caught her breath. Her cheeks were flushed, red from cold, and her blonde hair lay in wet tendrils all over her face. She gently stroked the hair out of Helen’s eyes, her hands running over her eyelids, down her checks and over her lips. She looked up to see Helen staring at her, eyes wide. She pushed Aline’s chin up to look at her, surging forwards to capture Aline’s lips with her own. It was rushed and messy, their wet hair tangling and the rain still running down their faces. They swayed, arms wrapped tight around each other, half dancing and just holding each other. They broke apart, giggling and wiping the water from each others’ faces.

“Come on, let's get out of the rain. I know a corner shop that should still be open just on the other side of the park.” Aline took the hand offered to her and followed Helen out of the park and towards the light of the shop which promised an escape from the still pouring rain.

As they walked back, hand in hand, smiling at one another, everything could be seen in a new light. Helen had known that that day was going to be magical but as she laughed, Aline jumping in puddles and trying to get her to follow, she knew that any day would be perfect as long as Aline was by her side.

They entered the corner shop together. It had been dark when they had first met but Aline immediately teared up as it came into view. Aline had worked behind the till once and Helen still had the coffee cup with Aline’s number above their fireplace at home. She smiled sweetly as Aline blushed and followed her in.

Aline slid Helen’s soaking Jacket from her shoulders and went to hang it on the pegs by the back door. Helen sat back, thinking about Aline’s favourite cake and the hot chocolate they could share together. Helen blinked up from the paper menu, her eyes catching why the shop had gone so quiet.

There was suddenly a shout from across the room and Helen froze in panic. The only thing separating her and Aline was a que full of terrified people and a man holding a gun and a bag.

“Put the money in.” He spoke mechanically. Eerily calm. Helen didn’t know what to do. All she knew was that she was supposed to get to her girlfriend. Aline’s hands shook, not daring to move as she met Helen’s eyes. She was right in his line of sight and if he was to start making threats, Aline would be the first that he would look at. Helen gestured with her fingers as the cashier pulled a stack of notes from the register.

“That’s it! Put it in the bag!” The person behind the till dropped a stack of notes and several gasps were heard from around the room. The man was getting impatient and was tapping his gun on the desk. That was not how their perfect day was supposed to go. “Did you not hear me? IN THE BAG!” 

Helen watched Aline swallow once. Helen’s jacket was slipping through her fingers. Helen felt every thread move from where she was crouched behind her table. Aline squeezed her eyes closed tightly as the damp Jacket slid from in between her fingers. In a split second of blind panic, Helen sprung from where she was. A shot was sounded and she flew across the room, jumping in front of Aline. Pain coursed through her chest and her ears rang with vibrations as she sunk to the floor. Sirens started flashing in the street outside and by Helen’s next startled breath, the man had run out and into the night.

“Helen! Oh my God, Helen! My baby!” Helen coughed as Aline turned her over. “No, Helen! You can’t- You can’t leave me like this. I have to tell you- Helen-” Aline couldn’t get any words out through her sobbing. Tears ran down her face and Helen put her hand against her chest. The bullet would have gone straight at Aline’s head if she hadn’t jumped. She had known that.

“I’m-” Helen clutched at her top pocket and Aline looked down. It took a moment for Helen to stop panicking about herself and wonder why there wasn’t any blood. Her heart raced as she checked over Aline. There was no red to be seen anywhere. They both stood up and Aline looked around. A bullet had left that gun. All of the other customers looked around in confusion, checking their loved ones in case it has richoched off someone and the shock just hadn’t hit yet.

Helen caught her breath as she watched Aline shake her head in confusion. The bullet was a split second away from going straight between her eyes.

“Helen!” Aline hugged her as they both gasped and tried to get their breath back. “You saved me!”

“It wasn’t me.” Helen reached into her top pocket, sliding her hand over the dented silver box. A family heirloom that she had stared at in blissful wonder since seeing it in her grandmother’s when she was ten.

Maybe today wouldn’t be the right time to show her. Maybe it would take a while to get over what had happened that day. She knew that once everything had been cleared up, she just wanted to get Aline home. Warm and safe in her arms. She knew eventually that day would come and she would have to tell her what happened.

How her life was saved by the engagement ring in her top pocket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please drop a comment <3


	6. Key to Survival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Sometimes, just living is not enough."
> 
> Day seven: Second kiss/Isolation
> 
> TW// Major character death

_ “Make yourself comfortable.” _

_ Jace threw his jacket over the sofa as Meliorn sat down. Jace hadn’t known him that long but he seemed like a guy that always seemed on edge. He never sat back properly; like someone who was always cautious and on the lookout for danger. _

_ “Thank you, Jace.” _

_ Jace disappeared from the room for a moment, returning with two cold beers. He offered Meliorn one but he declined on the count that he didn’t actually drink. Jace shrugged and threw himself over the sofa, grabbing the TV remote. _

_ “Take off your jacket. I told you, my home is your home.” Meliorn smiled, pulling his arms out of his sleeves and passing it to Jace. Meliorn noted that the blond always threw his things the second that he got in but on receiving Meliorn’s Jacket, got up carefully and hung it over the back of his chair. _

_ Meliorn wasn’t used to being inside so much. He’d grown up in the country with roaming hills and rivers. Himself and his many siblings had spent their childhoods outdoors. He wondered, what they would think of him now? Their big brother in the city? Sitting on the couch with another man, surrounded by bricks and not a speck of green in sight. _

_ “This is the movie you told me about?” _

_ Jace nodded, showing Meliorn his phone with the app preloaded for them to order food. Meliorn took it cautiously. He’d never had much cause for phones before Jace and even then, he’d only bought a cheap one. _

_ “You-” Jace chuckled quietly, reaching his arm around Meliorn’s. “You press there. We can order two if you want or some sides. Whatever you want.” _

_ Once the pizzas had arrived and the movie was in full swing, Jace found himself against Meliorn’s side, watching as his eyes lit up in wonder at the movie. It maybe wouldn’t have been Jace’s first thought for films but until lately, sitting in on a Friday night with another man and holding his hand had also been completely out of the question. While this was all new to them both and they were also so new to each other, after two quiet dates they had both loved (and one involving mountain biking that Meliorn definitely hadn’t), things were looking up and they both found they were becoming increasingly happy in each other’s presence. They had kissed once quickly, under the cover of starlight, shortly after meeting. Jace had been left confused and bewildered but happy all the same. _

_ “Jace, you really do have the best taste in films.” Jace smiled as Meliorn picked up a slice of his pizza from the table in front of them. He took a bite and placed it back. Jace had said that he would probably would have liked it because Isabelle’s boyfriend was also a vegetarian and was always raving about it. “Mmm...and the best taste in pizza.” _

_ “That’s great. Speaking of taste...” Jace turned to the side as Meliorn settled against him. “I mean- it might be rather abrupt of me…” _

_ Meliorn tilted his head quietly. “What is it, Jace? Tell me, what do you have good taste in?” _

_ Jace licked his lips, brushing back Meliorn’s hair behind his ear. His heart was racing. This was all so different than what he had ever thought of himself but that day he had met Meliorn, overlooking the river while standing in Jace’s favourite spot, something had just clicked and changed in him. Like a rusted key that could perfectly turn in a new lock. “I...umm.” Jace fit his hand to the side of Meliorn’s face. Meliorn leaned into it as Jace muttered. “I think I have excellent taste in men.” _

_ Meliorn lifted his arm from where it was wrapped around Jace’s and using his thumb, traced Jace’s bottom lip. Jace closed his eyes and like how Meliorn could appear in total silence or slip into the bar without drawing attention to himself, when Jace opened them again, Meliorn’s soft lips were pressed happily against his own. _

It had been 103 days since that night. Eighty six days since he had ran his hands through grass, felt the fresh air again his face. He wondered if maybe the 104th could be his last.

The first week had been bearable; it had been hell but he had retreated into his own mind and had escaped the hell he was trapped in and it had been bearable . 

After three weeks, the green hills and cold morning rain had been harder and harder to imagine; grey concrete walls and the cries of desperate men were all he could hear in the dead of night. 

When the marks on his wall count thirty, he brakes. Desperate for his freedom and everything he had lost, he lashes out. No longer a man but the animal that he was being treated like. A caged beast willing to kill to break free and run back to his sanctuary.

When he had woken up, restrained in the infirmary, he didn’t remember what he had done. The guards were there to take him to his new home. He had attacked and seriously injured three of them. He would be in isolation but the foreseeable future, no more yard time, no contact with another human being. Locked in a box and left to rot. 

It was that first night when all he could see behind his eyes was the grey of the walls of his cell. And so, his mind took him back to the last time he had felt safe, happy, free, to live and discover what the future had in store for him. For a month, he had tried to forget. He had been angry, he had been sad, but most of all he just missed him.

His time with Jace may of been short but Meliorn still remembered that evening in perfect detail. Jace had been so nervous but so cute and affectionate and Meliorn had fallen hard. He had never been one for outwards displays of emotions but the boy had somehow broken through all of his defences and found himself a way in his heart.

More than that, he missed him. He wished he had been there that night. Of course, the police had believed he was. He had wanted to watch the stars, to break free from the confines of ceilings and glass windows; so he had left while Jace had slept soundly. He had planned to be back in bed before the other had woken but instead, when he came back to the apartment a mere two hours later, Jace had been lying dead in his bed. The police hadn’t believed his story and given his history, he had never had a chance and had been sentenced to twenty years. 

Jace had been a light in the dark of his world. Now having lost him and all contact with the earth, Meliorn felt like twenty years was more than he could survive. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment <3


	7. Aim for the Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Never let your fear decide your future."
> 
> Day eight : Childhood/Stab wound 
> 
> TW// Mentions of past abuse and suicide

When Alec had showed up at his door, Magnus was surprised to see him there as they hadn’t made any plans to see each other that night. He could tell Alec had something on his mind as soon as he came in. His questions were quickly answered however when Alec surged forwards, pinning him to the wall.  
They had made out a couple times and things had gotten heated on a couple of occasions but either Alec or Magnus had always pulled away when they got to a certain point.  
In the insistent push of Alec’s lips against his and the grip of his hands around his hips, Magnus knew that this time, Alec wouldn’t be the one to pull away first.  
“Are you sure about this?” Magnus pulled away long enough to catch his breath and rest his forehead against Alec’s.  
“More than anything. Is that okay with you?” Magnus could hear the hesitation in his voice but when he looked up, he could also see the hunger in his eyes, the want and so he stepped forwards and reconnected their lips.  
Alec’s confidence surged as Magnus allowed him to take control of the situation and the pair tumbled into Magnus’ room, lips still firmly connected as they struggled to remove their clothes. They giggled and smiled against each others lips, as Alec’s shirt and Magnus’ jacket found their way to the floor.  
The next thing he knew, Alec was under him, laying against the golden sheets of his bed, his chiseled chest and thick chest hair the perfect contrast with the soft silk.  
The lips against his neck, hands on his hips, it was all perfect, until he felt the hem of his shirt begin to raise. He felt the cold air hit his stomach and chest and before he could stop himself, he tore himself out of Alec’s arms.  
“Magnus are you okay? Did I do something wrong?” Magnus could feel Alec sit up behind him but he couldn’t turn around and face him. He just needed a minute to control his breathing and get the images from that night out of his mind.  
“No such thing. I’m fine, I just need a minute.”  
“What? Do you not want to?”  
“No, yes. Of course I do.” he could feel the frustration in his own voice, of course he wanted to be with Alec, at this point there was little he wanted more. And yet, the idea of the other man seeing him, seeing all of him, terrified Magnus. “It’s just that,.... There is something you need to see, something I need to tell you.”  
Finally he turned to face Alec, he could see the questions in his eyes, as well as the fear. That he had done something wrong, that he hadn’t been good enough. Magnus could see all that fear and he wished that he could take it all away, wished Alec would see himself the way that Magnus did, but right now they had to have a different conversation, one that Magnus always knew he would have to have but feared nonetheless. 

“You remember what I told you about my mother? That she killed herself when I was a kid. Well shortly after my stepfather found me. He had never a kind man and he blamed me for my mother’s suicide. Said she hated herself for giving birth to a fatherless bastard, that she killed herself so that she didn’t have to look at me anymore.” he cut himself off then, Alec still hadn’t said a word but he had moved closer so Magnus’s back was resting against his chest. Providing a silent support that he desperately needed but hadn’t been able to ask for.  
Taking one last deep breath, he leaned away from Alec long enough to finish what Alec had tried to do and slip his shirt over his head.  
“He was screaming at me and I was so scared and just wanted him to stop so I pushed him. Of course, since he was an adult and I was only six, nothing happened but it made him angry, very angry. Before I knew that was happening, he had grabbed the kitchen knife behind him and stabbed me in the chest. He ran immediately after and it was the maid that found me, bleeding on the floor the next morning. They took me to the hospital and told me what if the knife had been half a centimeter lower, it would have hit my heart and I wouldn’t have made it. Now everytime I see the scar, I remember that night…”  
He turned then, the long white scar still visible despite the years. He held Alec’s eyes, waiting for a reaction from the man he was starting to love. Alec didn’t bother to wipe the tears from his eyes, letting them fall as he leaned to press his lips, ever so softly against the faint but still visible line on Magnus’ otherwise perfect skin.  
“It’s beautiful, you’re beautiful.” As Alec stared deep into his eyes, a hand lovingly resting against his cheek, Magnus couldn’t ignore the absolute honesty he could see in the hazel deepths. He smiled back before slowly leaning forwards to reconnect their lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment <3


	8. Colour of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Paint is only wasted when it stays in the tube."
> 
> Day nine: Paint/Shackled
> 
> //NSFW Warning

The door closed with a click as the last guest finally left the loft. Magnus was still chuckling as he locked the door and turned back to Alec with a smile. His checks were still slightly pink as he heard laughter from the hallway, a reminder of the flaming red they had been twenty minutes ago when Jace had given Magnus his birthday gift along with a couple of choice words and a smirk in Alec’s direction. Magnus had punched him in the arm and laughed it off but Alec, never comfortable talking about sex, especially with his siblings, hadn’t been able to take it as lightly.

Noticing his boyfriend’s glaze fixed on his hands and the nervous way he was biting his lip, Magnus assumed he was still embarrassed by Jace’s comment and the birthday gift Isabelle and Jace had gotten him. What he didn’t know, however, was that Alec wasn’t embarrassed even a little bit. He had been originally but now he was thinking, imagining, planning.

Jace and Isabelle had gotten Magnus what they had called “A mystery box of sex and fun.” It had been a joke and Magnus had laughed with them but Alec had to admit, at least to himself that he was definitely intrigued. Checking that Magnus wasn’t paying attention to him as he picked up several plastic cups from around the living room, Alec reached for the shiny black box that was on the coffee table and slowly removed the lid. Inside the box he found an array of items; some he fondly remembered from his late teenage years when he was confused and trying to understand his body. Some of the others he couldn’t help but imagine using with Magnus. He had ever thought of himself as a particularly kinky person; sure he and Magnus had a fair amount of sex and in a lot of places where it wasn’t exactly deemed appropriate but it had always been pretty vanilla between them. Now, running his hands over the strawberry flavoured lube, edible body paint and shiny silver handcuffs among other things; he couldn’t help himself but imagine what it would be like if Magnus actually wanted to enjoy the birthday gifts that had been bought for him as a joke. 

His imagination was running wild and starting to get the better of his body when he heard Magnus’ voice behind him.

“What have you got there, Alexander?” In his surprise, Alec turned to face his puzzled boyfriend, handcuffs since dangling from his fingertips and his arousal painfully obvious as it showed through his skin tight jeans.

Magnus’ eyes went slightly wider as he watched the silver reflection that glinted from in between Alec’s fingers. Alec looked down at them again and back to Magnus, a boyish grin across his face. Magnus walked over to him, sliding his arms over Alec’s shoulders before wrapping them around his neck and kissing his cheek softly. He knew what was on Alec’s mind but they’d never done anything like that together. Alec sometimes found it difficult to ask for what he wanted and regretted it later. All begging jokes aside, Magnus knew that if Alec wanted something then he knew he would want him to ask for it.

“Alexander, just because I’ve been given this, by any means, it does not mean that you have to feel obligated-” Alec turned his head to the side, looking at Magnus’ lips.

“Magnus, are you kidding? I want this.” Alec turned around in Magnus’ hold, sliding his arm behind Magnus’ neck and watching his boyfriend’s eyes light up. In one motion, he parted Magnus lips with his own and before they knew it, they were shoving each other backwards and grabbing onto anything they could find.

Once they reached the bedroom, Alec placed the box on the bed before slipping Magnus’ shirt from his shoulders. Magnus grinned against Alec’s mouth as their bodies pressed together and he started to undo Alec’s buttons. Magnus pushed Alec away for a moment and grinned as he stood up straight and without breaking eye contact, pulled his belt from his trousers and threw it across the room. Alec’s eyes went wide as Magnus sauntered back over to him. Before he could reach their bed, Alec grabbed Magnus by his shoulders and threw him flat, knocking the air out of him. He gasped as Alec breathed heavily against his mouth, undoing his zip before sliding it down. Alec moved to lie between Magnus’ bent knees, kissing a trail down his stomach before pulling his trousers down low enough that Magnus could kick them off.

“Do you-” Alec’s face lit up as Magnus sighed from under him. “Want to try this then?” Magnus laughed, flipping them over as he undid Alec’s trousers and slid them down quickly, leaving him in just his underwear and his open shirt. Magnus’ eyes skirted down for an embarrassingly long time and Alec had to tilt his chin up to remind him to stay on task.

Their kissing grew in intensity, both men eagerly moving their bodies against one another’s. Moment’s later, two pairs of underwear were thrown across the room and the two men were wrapped around each other, running their hands freely over one another as they clashed over and over again.

Magnus moaned softly, biting his lip as Alec kissed down his thighs. He shivered and tilted his head back, relishing in the feeling of Alec’s roaming hands.

“You know you don’t have to be so quiet?”

Magnus lifted his head back up for a second.

“Oh, ye?”

“Mmm.” As Alec’s hands ran across his body, the feather light touch torture to Magnus’ hypersensitive skin, he hardly noticed that Alec had gathered both his hands in one of his own. His mind still focused on the fingers trailing up the inside of his thighs, so close to where he desperately needed them, he didn’t notice his arms being pulled up above his head as a sudden coolness. It fell against his wrists with a snap and Magnus groaned as hie was cuffed to the headboard of the bed.

“Is this okay?”

Magnus may of not expected his evening to go this way but he was far from complaining.

“Mmmmm, yes. Don’t stop.”

Alec giggled at the moaning mess that Magnus had become beneath him. He had never seen this side of the older man and it was a sight he was sure he would never grow old of.

With Magnus shacked to the bed, Alec took a minute to lean back, Magnus moaning at the loss of contact and blushing when he realised that Alec had pulled back to fully take in the sight of him. 

“Alexander, please hurry up. I need you.” Alec could never ignore Magnus, especially when his voice was so deliciously desperate. Growing impatient himself, he grabbed a second item from the box they had brought into the bedroom with them and reconnected his lips to Magnus’, his body fitting against his lover’s and providing them both with the friction that they so desperately needed. 

With one last hard kiss against Magnus’ swollen lips, Alec pulled back and opened the lid of the purple glittery paint that he had pulled from the box. His eyes never left Magnus’ as he slowly dripped some of the purple paint on Magnus’ left nipple before immediately leaving down to lick at it, smearing it across Magnus’ chest and his own chin. Magnus gasped under him at the mix of sensations; the cold of the paint followed by the warmth of Alec’s tongue. Encouraged by the loud moans coming from Magnus’ and the burning heat as they moved together, Alec opened his lips and poured a line of paint over the right nipple before kissing the base of Magnus’ throat softly. Alec moved his hand, spreading the slick paint over his smooth chest. He used his hands this time, dipping the paint between the ridges of his abs before running his tongue down the path his hands had just taken, his teeth grazing over the now purple and glittery nipple as he kissed his way down Magnus’ chest. He bit down at his hip as Magnus gasped and strained against his cuffs, the hard metal digging into the soft skin of his wrists as he so desperately tried to press up against Alec and find the friction his body was begging for. Seeing the need in Magnus’ eyes, Alec dripped more paint past Magnus’ belly button, following the trail with his top lip until he had brought his head low enough to envelope Magnus in the tight heat of his mouth. The gasping moans that escaped Magnus’ gaping mouth unlike any that Alec had heard before. 

A good while later, as both men lay panting against each other’s chest in wonder, Magnus laughed softly to himself. It would be a birthday that neither of them would never forget and he’d have to make made a note to send a proper thank you to Alec’s siblings. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please drop a comment <3


	9. Crying to a Wolf

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A moment in time becomes a memory of a lifetime."
> 
> Day eleven : Hands/Stitches
> 
> TW//Major character death

As a child, Simon had always been told that the eyes were the window to the soul. He had never really understood what that meant but had always been fascinated by hands. He had watched as Clary had spent hours trying to draw them, mapping and throwing splashes of light and dark to get the complex shapes and lines just right.   
Later on, he would shake a man’s and be able to tell what he had done with his life. Were his hands hard and calloused from hard physical work? Or soft and agile from hours spent behind a computer screen?  
His interest in hands grew even still as he continued his path from a child to an adult. The soft caress of a hand against his check, the firm hold of his hand around another as teenage lovers ran hand in hand through the rain.  
A single hand placed between his, trembling slightly as he placed a ring onto one of the fingers.   
Next, his own hand, resting lighting against the skin of his wife as he felt for the sudden movement of his unborn child.   
As he looked down at his hands now, still marked from the scars of that night, he knew the story that his hands could tell anyone who bothered to hear it.

Simon could still hear the sound of metal bending and glass shattering. For the first time in what felt like hours, he was alone. The doctors had checked him and stitched up his wounds before leaving him to wait in the examination room. What he was waiting for? He didn’t know. What could he possibly do now? He had no home to go back to, no family left to call and reassure. An hour ago he had been the king of the world, his wife happy and laughing beside him, their child safe in her belly. Now he had lost everything.  
He clenched his hands as his breathing started to grow out of his control. The fresh stitches were excruciating as the movement pulled the skin tight; but he didn’t care. The pain helped him stay grounded. He deserved to feel this. How could it be possible that he only have a couple of cuts on his hands? So simply scratched that they had been stitched up and forgotten about. His Maia, his beautiful Maia, had been thrown through the windscreen and onto the road before him.   
It had been one second. They had been happy. On their way to a mountain getaway. The last time alone they would have for a long time with the baby on it’s way. Maia had complained about the heat, had taken her seatbelt off long enough to take her jumper off. As she was reaching to reconnect it, a wolf had jumped out of the forest and into the road.   
Everything that happened next only took a minute, but for Simon, those sixty seconds would plague him for the rest of his life. He had swerved the car to avoid the wolf and he had lost control on the slick roads. He had reached out to grab Maia has she was thrown out of her seat, straight forwards towards the windscreen he had cracked months ago.  
So many mistakes he had made. If only he had replaced the windscreen when Maia had told him to. If only he had hit the wolf. Maybe if he had done those things he would still be a husband. A father.   
The glass had shattered as Maia had hit it, the shards going straight into Simon’s outstretched hands. He hadn’t noticed until much later, at the hospital, when they had forced him away from her side to be treated.   
One second, one decision.   
She had taken off her coat. He had swerved.   
She had wanted to arrive before nightfall. He had wanted to go to the mountains.  
She had walked down the aisle. He had asked her to marry him.   
They had met and started their story. Now it was over. Maia had gone through the windshield. Her neck had broken on impact, she and the baby had been dead before Simon could even get to them.   
They had a lifetime together, their time was just starting. But now it was over. Three lives forever changes, one ended before it’s time, a second over before it truly had a chance to start and finally, the only one to continue, forever changed by the loses it had survived.


	10. Up at the Crack of Dawn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Family faces are magic mirrors. Looking at people who belong to us, we see the past, present and future."
> 
> Day twelve: Underwear/Don't move

“Okay, watch this. One. Two. Three.”

Alec leaned over the kitchen table and shook his head. Three plates of pancakes were in front of him, fuller than he would have liked them to be. He’d been in the process of folding up the washing with his two sons in front of him. Then Magnus had woken up and all levels of common sense and sanity had gone out the window. All three were now making fools of themselves, each adorned with a pair of underpants on their heads.

Alec laughed and shook his head as Magnus crawled over the living room rug. Their one and four year old were hanging off him and screeching with laughter. “Okay, guys. Come and eat before your food gets cold. Mag- Magnus- watch the little one!” Alec ran around the kitchen table and into the living room area, scooping up Max off the floor.

“Alexander, he’s tougher than he looks. He’s a warlock.”

“Still-” Alec pulled Max’s race car pants off his head and stroked back his navy curls. “Yes but only a little one.” Alec leaned down, gently setting Max down so he was sitting with his legs out in front of him. He waved his hands excitedly as he gurgled, sending bubbles out into the room.

“I thought you said you didn’t get powers until your early childhood? He’s been doing it all week.” 

Magnus jumped as Rafe put his little arms over his shoulders. Magnus spoke from the ground and leaned back on his hands. “Alexander, I didn’t exactly give birth to him. Warlock powers can develop at any age-”

“I know- it’s just that we were trying to see about that downworld day care and I don’t know how they will react-”

“Alec, you have to stop stressing. They deal with worse and a few bubbles is hardly-” Magnus was cut off as a blast of blue sparks flew from Max’s hands. “That’s new…” Max squealed, waving his hands in a perfect imitation of Magnus.

“Well what are we supposed to do? It’s not his fault.”

“Max-” Magnus tapped his lap. “Come to Papa.” Max struggled for a moment and Alec lifted him so he was standing on his wobbly legs. With Alec’s support under his arms, he moved mechanically to Magnus and giggled as his papa caught him and Alec sat down next to them. “There. We just have to find other ways to entertain him, Alexander. What do you think Rafe?”

Rafe laughed and jumped on Alec’s back with a ‘Raah!’, slinging a pair of his boxers over his head. Alec sighed, giving in to the fun before he knew one of Magnus’ friends would be around to take them to the park. The three of them laughed together, chasing one another and trying to find the spots where each of them were ticklish. After several minutes, Alec lay on the sofa with Magnus breathing heavily on top of him and touching their lips together gently as they found a second alone. As he found himself fondly remembering a time when there were no little feet around, the room lit up in a flash. Rafe had tried to catch one of Max’s feet as he sat on the floor, which he hadn’t liked. One of Magnus’ old vases had been knocked from its place, with the strobes he had sent off, and pieces of broken pottery lay around the two boys. Magnus climbed off Alec, holding his hands up. If Max started crying then who knew what it would set off and his bottom lip was already wobbling. Rafe was standing with his hands on his hips, defiantly arguing in Spanish that it wasn’t his fault.

“Rafe, estas bien. No te preocupes por eso. Max, you’re okay. I need both of you to stay exactly where you are, okay? Shadoworld promise?” Both of the little boys nodded. It was something they had come up with so they could all be included on family decisions. “Okay. Stay exactly where you are. Don’t move.” Alec watched as Magnus waved his hands in elegant, fluid motions. Both of the boys held out their hands in wonder, ribbons of glowing gold and blue magic wrapped around them, repairing the vase and putting every shard back to where it belonged.

Max and Rafe waited until Magnus was finished. When he was perfectly confident that everything was resolved, he dropped to his knees, holding out his arms as his two sons ran towards him. Alec watched them all for a moment. How Magnus closed his eyes and sighed in contented bliss. How Max grinned, his gummy teeth barely visible. How Max jumped and clapped his hands, pretending he had powers like his father and brother. Alec looked down at his own and then back at the table. The food was till uneaten, the place looked a mess, clothes still needed folding and both him and Magnus needed to leave for work any minute. He looked back once again and walked over to his family. His beautiful, messy family. He’d always prided himself on neatness, Magnus too; clearing up simple things with a flick of the wrist. In that moment, Alec decided that everything was exactly as it needed to be.

Their little family had all the magic it needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please drop a comment <3


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